Erving Goffman was one of the most pre-eminent authors of the post-war period in social science. His ideas have had an extraordinary influence and have become well known to a wide audience. This is the first systematic appraisal of the legacy of his work.

The book brings together a group of eminent scholars from sociology, linguistics and social psychology, all of whom are internationally known for their own work. Contributors include Adam Kendon, Randall Collins, Robin Williams, Emanuel A. Schegloff, Christian Heath, Stephen C. Levinson, P.M. Strong and Anthony Giddens.

The contributors analyse and seek to build on Goffman's work in a sympathetic yet critical way. Some chapters describe the main parameters of the "interaction order", as Goffman portrays it, serving as a useful introduction to his approach. Others show how future investigations of the interaction order may be developed.

This book will become a standard source for undergraduates and postgraduates in linguistics, social psychology and sociology, and for anyone interested in the development of modern social theory in general.